THE INVOLUNTARY BENDER
an Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction by S. Sakurai
All characters copyright Nickelodeon. The kinky stuff
and swear words are pretty much all me, though.
It was a beautiful, warm day, and Katara was just hanging the last of the streamers from the gazebo in the park. It really was going to be a perfect party, she reflected. Later on there would be feasting and celebration all over the city, of course - everyone wanted to share in the experience of the Avatar's birthday. The morning, though, that would be for Aang and his close friends alone.
Her brother was keeping the Avatar busy - he and Suki had dragged the kid into town on the pretext of needing a second opinion for some hardcore shopping at the his-and-hers-monogrammed-boomerang-and-battle-fan store - and the rest of the gang were all off making some last minute arrangements. She had half an hour at least before big "surprise", but she wanted to make sure everything was perfect well beforehand.
She finished affixing the last streamer and stood back to admire her handiwork. "There, perfect! And the colors aren't THAT awful... considering Toph somehow got herself put in charge of picking them out."
"Brilliant planning as usual." said a voice just behind her right ear.
Katara jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" she scolded, whirling around. "I thought you were--"
"Oh? Thought I was who?" asked the former Princess Azula, smirking. "The little shrimp you're throwing this dreary little party for? Well, then this your lucky day - he's not here yet. You're all alone."
Katara brought up a handful of water in a defensive position. There wasn't much - it was not a humid day - and Azula vaporized it almost immedietly, forcing Katara to release before she suffered a scalded hand. "Don't even try. There are no water sources nearby, and I assure you, if you move from the spot, you'll be roasted before you can take a step."
"How-how did you get out of the - of the -" Katara licked her dry lips.
"The asylum?" Azula asked. "The nuthouse where my dear brother stuck me to rot? It really wasn't hard. They thought they were guarding a crazy woman after all." She laughed humorlessly. "You all thought I was insane, insane, just because I lost my cool for a little bit. Let's all pity poor, sick little Azula, who's obviously crazy because she doesn't have enough experience with losing to handle it with the grace we veteran losers know so well!"
"'Lost your cool'? You lost your mind." Katara shot back. "No, I take that back. Your mind was gone long ago. You just finally stopped bothering to hide it."
"SHUT UP!" Azula shouted, slapping Katara savagely. Her palm was steaming hot - Katara realized that if the other woman hadn't been fighting to control her emotions, she might have gotten her face cooked right then and there. She regarded her attacker through the tears of pain forming in her eyes.
Azula wasn't the weeping, flailing mess she'd been just before being taken to the asylum. She wasn't yet as slick and sophisticated as she'd been when she'd been pursuing them, either, though she was clearly learning to take care of herself in the absense of all the attendants she'd banished for imagined plots against her. Her hair and makeup were bordering on almost competent, and her clothes were remarkably clean and well-kept for a woman on the run.
"What do you want?" Katara asked, trying to keep from sounding either too scared or too angry. Nice and even, that was the way to play it. "If you wanted to kill me, you could have done it while my back was turned. So you must want something."
"As a matter of fact, I do want something." Azula nodded, the familiar evil smile blooming in her face. "I want to see you beg for your life. I want to see you on your knees, groveling in front of me like the peasant you are. I want you to show me that you understand that I have the power, and you have nothing. On your knees!"
Katara lowered herself to the ground. There were so many spots in the park near babbling brooks or beautiful pools - why had she chosen the gazebo in the glade with no water anywhere around? She hated lowering herself to this monster, but for now, she was weaponless.
Azula placed her foot on Katara's back. "Now, let's see, first I'd like to have your apology for breaking into my palace during my coronation and assisting in an illegal coup."
"I--" Katara hesitated.
Azula's foot ground down into her spine, hot and heavy. "I said I want an apology, worm, and I want it now." she hissed. "I could blow a hole right through your back if I decided to."
Oof, Katara thought as Azula's weight settled on her back. Goodness, she's certainly packed on the Asylum 20, hasn't she? It must be all that starch. Aloud, she responded. "Of course. I'm sorry, Azula."
"WHAT did you call me?"
"Princess Azula!"
"My title is Fire Lord, peon." Azula pushed down harder on Katara's back. "But I suppose one shouldn't expect a water tribe peasant to understand the niceties of court etiquette."
Her smirk grew wider. "Now that I think of it, you really should apologize on because of your little tribe for cluttering up land that rightfully belongs to the Fire Nation. Don't you?"
She was putting almost her whole weight on Katara's back now. The Water Tribe girl had to braced her arms against the ground to keep herself on her hands and knees, and Azula could sense it. With one sudden and vicious movement, she stomped down hard, forcing Katara face-first into the dirt and knocking the wind out of her.
"One just can't find good footstools these days. Now, what are you waiting for?"
Tears were streaming down Katara's cheeks as her eyes tried to clean themselves of dust. Just stall for time. Just keep her busy and someone will come, she told herself. This is no time for pride.
"I'm so sorry, Fire Lord, for my people's trespass on your land. I only hope that you'll recognize how primitive and s-stupid we are, and show us some of the abudant mercy in your benevolent heart." Katara choked.
"Hmm. Not bad!" Azula flipped Katara over on her back for a better look at her tear-streaked face. "Overdoing it a little with that 'benevolent heart' bit. Now, I know you know better than that. But a decent try overall."
"Th-thank you, Fire Lord."
"I haven't decided yet whether I'll forgive you of course." Azula smiled coldy. "Let's hear you beg for your life." She placed a foot on Katara's sternum, pressing down uncomfortably.
"Please don't kill me. Please, Fire Lord." Katara didn't have to feign the fear. "If you let me live, I swear I'll serve you. I'll do anything you want me to."
"Hmm. A decent start, but missing a certain ... physical component." Azula slid her foot onto Katara's face. "Lick it!"
Trying not to gag on the taste of dirt and sweat, Katara gingerly licked the sole of Azula's foot.
"Good girl! But then, it's in your blood, isn't it?" Azula's grin widened. "I doubt they told you this when you were a child, but according to reports we got from the Southern Raiders, your mother went to great lengths to try and save her worthless skin before the axe fell. Of course, it wasn't a foot she was sucking on - and it wasn't as if if saved her, was it, not when she was dead before she had time to swallow --"
"FUCK YOU!" Katara spat in a rage, and all at once the straining sweat and the tears and the flecks of saliva spraying from her mouth were dozen of tiny slivers of ice, carried on a wave of absolute rage across the distance, headed straight as arrows for Azula's face.
Expert firebender that she was, Azula waved them back into liquid with a burst of heat without blinking an eye. Katara felt her own warm saliva splatter against her forehead. She didn't care.
"You fuck ...fuck bitch!" she sputtered. She wasn't very experienced with swearing.
Azula reached down and grabbed a fistful of the front of Katara's dress, hauling her to her feet. "That was a big, big mistake, little peasant." she said, storm clouds gathering on her face. "Now I'm going to kill you slowly."
With a grip like iron she swung the lighter girl around, slamming her down onto the refreshment table. Katara felt vegetable dip oozing into the back of her dress.
With her free hand, Azula idly flicked away a rolling radish. "What kind of feast is this? Oh, that's right, isn't it, the Avatar only eats rabbithorse feed. I don't know how the rest of you can stomach this vegetarian glop, though."
Abruptly she was smiling again, so broadly it seemed as though the upper half of her head would fall off. "I'll be leaving my own little contribution to the feast, of course. A nice meaty little roast, lying right here for the Avatar to find - juicy and crispy, and still piping hot when he returns." She cackled, and Katara felt heat emanating from her clenched fist. It was painful almost at once - in another few seconds it would be to cooking her alive. "Ahaha! Happy birthday, Aang!"
Katara's arms flailed desperately. She had no water, but maybe there was something she could use as some kind of a makeshift weapon. Her fingers opened and closed futiling, on a bowl of dip, on a plate of lettuce wraps, on the punchbowl --
The punchbowl.
She would kick herself for missing it later. Right now there was no time for regret, no time even for finesse - she lifted the whole heavy mass of liquid out of its bowl and slammed it into the side of Azula's head.
Taken by surprise, the firebender released Katara at once, raising her hands to her face and futiling scraping at the bubble of light, fruity summer refreshment that had enveloped it. Each handful of punch Azula scraped away, though, simply flew back into the main mass of the ball as Katara squeezed as hard as she could to keep it there.
It was a stalement, Katara quickly realized. Azula couldn't see to attack her with the thick punch all around her, and she certainly couldn't evaporate the punch when her face was in it - she'd be scalded. All Katara had to do was hold the punch in place and her would-be killer would drown in short order.
But Katara didn't want to kill her. She didn't want to kill anyone, and certainly not on the birthday of the boy she cared so deeply for - the boy who respected all life, who'd gone to such great lengths to find a way to win the war without killing Fire Lord Ozai. It wouldn't be as bad as coming back to Katara's smoldering corpse - but to find anyone's body, even Azula's, would be a tragedy for him.
Azula raged soundlessly in her punch bubble, pockets of air gurgling to the surface. She was getting weaker. Katara dithered, not sure what to do. And then Azula broke through.
Katara's heart sank as those familiar features, so perfect and so cruel, surfaced. She let the last few remnants of liquid fall away. "How... how did you... where did it go?"
"Where do you think?" Azula snapped, stifling a burp. "Nice try, though."
"You ... drank it? All of it?" There must have been close to a gallon in there.
Azula was as mad as the proverbial wet hen. She was almost as wet, too. Her dark hair was soaked and shiny, and the hints of mascara she'd applied was running. She was so furious she was literally breathing fire.
"Yes, I drank it, you idiot!" she snarled, blue flames curling from her mouth. "I have to survive to defeat my stupid brother and reclaim my throne, don't I? And so help me, if I retain too much water to get into my coronation dress I will drag your soul back from hell and kill it again."
Strictly speaking, Katara wasn't weaponless. The liquid was still there, sloshing around in Azula's belly - Katara could feel it. She was full to the brim with potential ammunition. But Katara didn't want to use it. It was too much like bloodbending, too gruesome to think about. And she didn't know if she could get it out without killing her opponent.
But she had no choice. She raised a hand, preparing to seize the liquid in Azula's own body.
"Surrender?" Azula chortled, misinterpreting the gesture. "It's too late for that, fool! You tried to drown me... and now you want to be taken alive?" She laughed heartily, brushing a few stray strands of soggy hair out of her face as she did so.
"Please." Katara said carefully. Maybe she could buy some more time after all. "I realize that was a nasty trick. I was scared and desperate."
"You better believe it was a nasty trick. It was pretty low, even for someone like you." Azula growled, slurring her words slightly. "You think I'm gonna let you get away with that?"
What's happening?, Katara thought. She's so lax. She's acting like she's, she's...
...drunk!
Someone spiked that punch!
Katara's heart beat faster. Alcohol in the punch... the punch Azula was practically sloshing with. When she found out who had done it, she would kiss them, after making sure they were properly punished of course. If I can just keep her talking a little longer, until it really starts to affect her...
"What are you going to do to me?"
"Roast of you course? I said that before, right? My god, you're stupid." Azula giggled sharply, then hiccupped. All that alchol on an empty stomach was hitting her hard and fast.
"But what do you have against me?" Katara asked, though she knew very well.
"'Cause you're the one that ... that interferred with my Agni Kai, the one that ruined my coronation as the Fire Lord. You ruined my special day, so I'm gonna ruin your boyfriend's special day. An eye for an eye!"
"Shouldn't you ruin my special day, not Aang's? Ruining my boyfriend's special day would only be an eye for an eye if I'd ruined your boyfriend's special day."
"Stop trying to confuse me!" Azula barked. "It's tit for tat, however you slice it. I... I should have been Fire Lord. I should have awoken to the cheers of my people! And when my face appeared in the window in the morning, I should have been greeted by the Imperial Orchestra, ready to strike up a paen to my greatness! It's what I worked for all my life! It's what I deserve!"
She let out a strangled sob. "Instead I'm disgraced... chained up like a dog, never given any of the respect I deserve! Now hold still so I can burn you to death." She raised a hand.
Even drunk, she wasn't about to miss at point blank range. Katara broke and ran as uneven looking gouts of blue fire spewed from Azula's outstretched fingers. She ducked and hid behind the gaily painted gazebo.
"Get back here, you bitch! I said it was a tit for an eye, and I intend to deliver!" Azula yelled after her. She staggered towards the gazebo, nearly falling.
"What's happening? What have you down?" she cried. "You did something - poisoned me somehow - you miserable, cheating piece of garbage!" She punctuated this remark with a ear-splitting belch of blue flame.
Katara rolled away from the gazebo as it burst into flames and quickly slipped under one of the long tables. She lay flat, heart racing, as Azula's ranting grew more frenzied and desperate.
"When I find I'm going to tear out your eyes and eat them... going to pull your teeth out one by one with the rustiest pliars I can find ... I'll see your ovaries fed to wild platypus-bears!"
Katara's hand brushed a box. There was something hidden under the table. She reached inside, feeling her hand curve around the neck of a bottle.
Someone was really planning on some serious underage drinking, weren't they? she marveled. But it suited her purposes. It was possible that even all that liquor she'd taken in wouldn't be enough to knock out someone as strong-willed as Azula.
Katara felt a wave of heat as the top of the table above her caught alight. It was also possible that it wouldn't be wise to wait and see if the boozy princess would pass out on her own. The alcohol was destroying her aim, yes, but it was also fueling her rage and power.
Rolling out from under the table, dragging the box with her, Katara ripped the top off the bottle in her hand and aimed it straight at Azula. "Have a drink!" she cried as the wine within slithered out like a long red tentacle.
Azula didn't have a chance. She was far too uncoordinated to resist as Katara's expert waterbending forced the swirling maelstrom between her lips.
Katara had her hand on another bottle, but stopped. If I force any more into her she might die of alcohol poisoning. Or just plain pop like a water balloon.
Azula's hair had come loose from the inexpertly tied bun and hung down around her head as she knelt on hands and knees in the dirt, too hammered by now even to stand up. She was visibly bloated, and probably would have had trouble moving gracefully even if she was stone sober, with her stomach so full of liquid.
"C'm out, c'mon out n' I'll kill you!" she screamed, huge alcohol-flavored tears rolling down her cheeks. "Lousy... little... bitcsh!"
Great drunken gobbets of flame lit the surrounding area as she expended everything she could. She could no longer see, but spewed everything she had randomly in a futile attempt to catch the waterbender with a gout of fire. Exhausted, she finally lost the fight with consciousness, and with a final drunken sob, she flopped over on her side, sinking into darkness.
Katara crawled out from behind one of the overturned tables, carefully approaching the snoring woman. She heard footsteps running up behind her.
"Katara, are you all right? I saw firebending coming from around here." It was Zuko, followed closely by Toph, Ty Lee, and the rest of the party attendees. Right on schedule, of course, now that she was no longer in mortal danger! Only the Avatar himself and his escorts were still gone. "What happened?"
"It was Azula... she... she attacked me. It's all right now. I, er... I kind of got her drunk."
"Wow, really? Way to take her out!" Toph said enthusiastically. "Is that her over there? She's a mess! I can barely believe my feet!"
"And would you happen to know anything about why there was alcohol in the punch, Toph?" Katara asked sternly.
"Hey, don't look at me, Ty Lee made that. I was decorations." the young Earthbender said with a shrug.
"But you poured something in it, didn't you?" Ty Lee said cheerfully. "You said it would make the party more interesting, remember?"
"TOPH!" Katara said.
"What? They told me it was fruit juice when I bought it!" Toph said defensively. "Blind girl, can't read the label? How was I supposed to know it was a bottle of extra-dark premium Painted Lady rum?"
"Well... I just hope you're telling the truth." Katara said, slightly mollified. "Anyway, it turned out for the best this time, I suppose."
Iroh moved over to where Azula was still snoring loudly. "My niece is not going to be happy when she wakes up. For her sake and for ours, I suggest we get her back to her quarters at the retreat before that happens."
"Chances are they're already looking for her." Zuko said. "I'll put her under guard until we can contact her attendants. And I'll make sure they know to do their jobs properly from now on."
"Poor Azula." Ty Lee sighed. "What have you done to yourself?" She brushed a strand of hair off of her once-friend's flushed face.
"A better question is what she almost did to me." Katara said with her arms crossed. "Zuko, you might want to do more than warn the guard. Double it. I don't want this monster getting out again."
"She's not a monster." Ty Lee said sadly, adjusting Azula into a seated position. "She just needs help."
"She needs round-the-clock supervision. And chaining her to a boulder couldn't hurt either." Katara sniffed.
"She's sick." Ty Lee sighed. "She's been sick for a long time. I just wish there was something I could do."
"Well," Katara said. "Actually, there IS something nice we could do for her while she's away. Something she might like. She mentioned it to me, you know, before she tried to murder me." She explained her suggestion to Ty Lee.
"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Ty Lee said, clapping her hands. "I'm sure she would love it! Can you arrange it, Zuko?"
"I should be able to." Zuko said, puzzled. "But why would you want to do something like that for her, Katara, after what she tried to do?"
"Let's call it burying the hatchet." Katara smiled. "Now, let's get this place cleaned up before--"
"WHAT THE HECK?"
Katara turned her head to see the three latest arrivals. Sokka and Suki stood hand in hand, stunned looks on their faces. And next to them, looking absolutely flabbergasted, was the birthday boy himself, Avatar Aang.
Katara glanced over at the wreckage of the clearing. The overturned tables. The smoldering ruins of the gazebo. The tattered, dirt-smeared remains of her brand new party dress. The puddles of liquor. The loudly snoring Princess Azula slouched against one of the tables, smelling like a brewery. She turned back to Aang.
"S... surprise?" she offered weakly.
**************
Azula woke up back in the asylum. Her first thought was a curse upon realizing where she was. Her second, which she voiced aloud, was a much longer string of curses upon realizing what she felt like.
She'd never been so sick in her life. Her mouth was dry, her guts felt like they were having an Agni Kai tournament to see which of them would have the honor of being puked up first, and her head felt like every Earthbender in Ba Sing Se was slamming the biggest stones they had together.
And there were people outside her window. Talking. Loudly. Every word pounding in her head.
"Guards! Fine whoever is making that racket and behead them!" she wheezed through dry, cracked lips. The guards, of course, did nothing. They didn't work for her anymore. She rolled over, trying to cover her ears with her pillow, and that's when she discovered the note.
Dear Azula, it said. When we met earlier, you said you felt this was what you deserved, and I agree. Your friend, Katara.
"Bitch." Azula crumpled the notes and hauled herself to her feet, feeling as though she would be sick at any second, if her head didn't crack in two first.
"Look, you bastards," she croaked, peering through the bars of her window. "If you don't stop that racket right now--"
A great cheer went up from outside of the window, the wave of noise hitting her like an earthquake and bringing tears to her eyes. A crowd of Fire Nation citizen was gathered outside the walks of the asylum, cheering and clapping for her.
And there in the middle of the crowd was the Imperial Orchestra, readying themselves to strike up a jaunty tribute to the Fire Lord.
"No." Azula whispered in horror, shrinking back. "No, don't--"
The rotund tuba player put his lips to the mighty horn and blew a great and reverberating blast that shook the very stones of the asylum. Before it had even faded away, the others instruments began to join in, and the thunderous symphony began.
Azula screamed.
THE END